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CarmichaelVentura
Isola Madre (Mother Island) in Lake Maggiore is absolutely gorgeous! It contains not only exquisite gardens but a beautiful palazzo, and the setting cannot be beaten.
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MummaBear59
Lovely day trip from Milan by train to Stresa followed by ferry ride to Isola Madre and then Isola Bella. Those very different in character, both gardens were beautiful and Isola Madre was very relaxing to wander through and enjoy the wonderful surroundings of this uncomplicated and pretty garden. We were amazed by the work and effort that has gone in to saving a very old cypress tree damaged in a storm - hope it pays off. Well worth the trip and highly recommended.
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Markog35
The lake is so beautiful and you can spend their hole day. visit the borromeo palace, take a boat trip or just relax and go to nice restaurant
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gamain
The Palazzo Madre had beautiful gardens and a 16th - 18th century palce. Both gardens and palace are worthy of a visit. We paid 18.50 euros/person for the double visit, which also included a visit to Palazzo Borromeo located on Isola Bella, which is the 1st island ferry stop.
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Maillysr
We loved both the palace and the botanical gardens with rare plants and blue/white pheasants. This and Bella are must sees.
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MichelleM83940
This island is one of the 3 Borromean Islands and is stunning. The gardens are beautifully maintained and the house is fascinating. This is well worth a visit if staying nearby.
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CityHopperJerusalem
Excellent gardeners keeping the flowers and trees, a beauty to the eyes. Some birds in cages are part of the gardens. The beautiful cypress next to the house was saved and replanted, really awesome. The house is also beautiful. They sell you 3 isles but only Madre and Bella are worthwhile.
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Hellonophile20
I'm not a massive fan of gardens but the wander around this island was very pleasant - the work being done to save the cypress, and the tranquil nature of the place. I preferred this to Isola Bella.
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exiledblue
As expected it was quite difficult to navigate with a buggy around these beautiful gardens and house but the most disappointing aspect was the challenge I had to get out with the buggy. I didnt want to walk all the way back to the entrance so had to fold up the buggy to get out through a tiny rotating gate. if there was a better exit it needed better signposting. However, if you dont have a buggy issue then its really worth a visit.
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MSandDS
Isola Bella is obviously the most popular island & Pescatori the least popular . We thought Madre was by far the best island. When you land on the island, you immediately enter the grounds to the garden and the palace (no dogs). There are arrows to guide you and the grounds are beautiful and unpretentious and, very important, not crowded! (We were there on a Sat.!). The palace seemed lived in versus a staged grandiose palace setting as at Bella. When you exit, there is one restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating and it was delightful. And no vendor booths! We loved this island -